RANCHODS... THE WINNERS

 



Some months ago, while speaking on phone, a friend of mine (62), said, “Mujhe phir se pyaar ho gaya hai.” (I am in love again). Before I could say, ‘What?’, he clarified, “Krishna se.”

Well, I knew about my friend’s fascination towards ISCON during last few years, and I had observed how anchored and peaceful he had become. It’s an amazing transformation. Still, that early morning, when he said, “Mujhe phir se pyaar ho gaya hai,” I wasn’t thinking about ‘Krishna’… Instead, being a mortal, I was thinking, “What… at 62?”

Then, two weeks ago, this young girl (23), who had just completed her LLB, had turned up for one of our Sunday Workshops. Everybody’s eyebrows had gone up seeing the ISCON marks on her forehead, prominently displayed… It’s clear, that the young girl had not only just turned a lawyer, she had, also, just turned Krishna’s beloved…

“Very good,” I thought, “it will help her stay away from the dirty, dark stand-up comedy shows.”

Of late, it’s interesting to watch the two parallel movements among the young lot. While countless young men and women throng to the stand-up comedy rooms to consume the unpalatable content (for people like me), a significant young lot is, also, drawn to the drawing rooms, auditoriums, and even stadiums, to consume devotional content -– bhajans, pravachans etc.

We are getting these attractive ads for such shows -– and, just as how one kind of young men and women doesn’t mind buying expensive tickets for dark comedy shows, the other kind doesn’t mind buying expensive  tickets for bhakti shows…





As a soon-to-be-68 soul, I find myself standing between these two kinds of ‘lovers’… I love Krishna. But, I prefer to keep my love very, very private… and, I am sure, Krishna knows it…

And, though I said, “I love Krishna”, I did not know He was, also, known as ‘Ranchod’…

Some days ago, during a PD session, I was narrating an episode in my life… I was the Chairman of a housing society, where despite doing tremendous amount of work –- and despite gaining love and respect of vast majority there –- I was finding myself more and more dragged into toxic battles… so much so, it had taken a toll on my physical and mental health. Such work (Society politics) was not meant for a naïve person like me… I had realised it after getting wounded badly… and, thanks to the good counsel of some of my associates, we all (entire Managing Committee) had decided to quit the battle ground … We all resigned in one go. “We let go… and let God in,” I wrote in an emotional letter to all the members of our society.

When 15-year-old Bhavik heard my emotional story, he came on stage to tell me the story of Krishna running away from the battle field even after defeating the evil king  Jarasandha seventeen times. Jarasandha was relentless, heartless… Thus, Krishna, the noble ruler of Mathura, who was concerned about his simple citizens, decided to run away from the battle ground of Mathura and start afresh his new kingdom at Dwaraka. But, young Bhavik reminded us, “Krishna did not run away from the battle field as a coward… He did it as a clever, wise, compassionate strategist… His act of ‘ranchod’ was a well-planned ‘ranneeti’. So, Sir, don’t feel bad about running away from the battle ground, even Lord Krishan had done it.”

Let me tell you this: I felt like shouting in front of all the young boys and girls in that session, “Bachhon, mujhe phir se pyaar ho gaya hai”…

Well, Krishna se…

Bhavik is the only young man, who has received a standing ovation during this summer programme. He reminds of the Ranchodas from ‘3 Idiots’… who, despite topping in his Engineering exam, and despite winning Virus’ coveted pen –- yes, why he just ‘gave away’ his engineering degree to a useless guy -- and simply walked away to glory…

 


GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic’s.: 1. drfuenteshernandez   2. Manoj Muntashir

Video:  Colonial Cousins/SonyMusicIndiaVIVO


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